Hot Trend for 2016 - Florals

We all know by now that the colour of the year for 2016 is Rose Quartz -" is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure". We love the softness and subtle elegance of this colour....but another trend for 2016 is florals! I know, I know, did florals ever really go out of style? The answer is no.  Florals are a classic print in fashion and home fashion but we will be seeing more florals this year.  Many think of florals as fussy and traditional but this year expect to see florals used in a different way.  A more current or modern twist!

Over sized - when it comes to florals try and over sized print in textiles or over sized art. We love this floral art, it adds some bold colour and some softness against this white on white room decor.

 

 Mix your prints. To keep the look modern think about mixing in some florals with other prints. In this image, we love the floral pillow in bold colours next to the Dalmatian print drapes. It makes the space chic and sophisticated.



Mix styles. We love the balance of taking an older or more traditional pieces and adding a modern or current textile.  We love this traditional chair paired with the bright and big floral print. It updates the whole piece and adds an interesting element to the room.



On the floor.  Add a statement area rug to any room for an instant update.  This area rug is fun, fresh and makes a big statement.  It's like art on the floor.  Pair with a glass coffee table so the rug can be seen and add neutral furniture.  This rug speak for itself.




Play with texture.  Don't get too soft and fussy when decorating with florals.  Try pairing them with hard textures like wood, metal and glass.  We love the over sized floral art pieces against this concrete wall.

We Answer Wednesday - Finding my Decorating Style

"I really want to decorate my condo and have it look amazing.  But where do I start? Do I look at what's trending? Or copy what I see in magazines? I really need help and have no idea where to start!"

Decorating your home is so much fun but it can be stressful for some - we don't want you to have a negative experience, after all this is your home, your space, your sanctuary !

 

Magazines are a great start.  Here's what we recommend: start leafing through magazines (start in a bookstore, we love Chapters, they always have a large and varied selection) - (you can also look online - try Houzz or Pinterest.) So start looking through your magazines and keep a file (yes, rip out those pages!) and take some notes on what you love about the page - post-it's are easy and perfect for this!  Collect a number of images and once you have a decent amount (10-20)- stop and review.  Look at the images, look at your notes...do you see a pattern? You probably will notice a common theme - like colour, pattern, texture, style....or perhaps something more specific like wallpaper or bold and graphic art.  This exercise is a great way to start and get a better idea of your taste and style.  Don't use words like "I'm modern or I'm traditional", images will give you a much better idea of what you are all about!



Another great tip for decorating, is to ask yourself "how to I want this room to feel?" Do you want a sexy or romantic bedroom? Do you want a vibrant and exciting living room?

 

Use your interests as decor influences. Maybe you love to travel and you want your space to remind you of your travels - "I want a room that reminds me of Italy, France, Morocco....etc....." did you collect art or other artifacts on your adventures? Use those items in your decorating.  They will give the space a sense of who you are and what your story is.





Trends are great to read about but if you don't love what's '#trending' don't do it! Your space needs to reflect your story - not what someone tells the masses is cool.

Don't be afraid! If you love something you will find a spot for it.  Don't be afraid to mix patterns and colours and brands/price points, an expensive sofa paired with a re purposed/recycled thrift store find like a bench or end tables - is what personal style is all about! 

 

We Answer Wednesday - Bedroom decor: mixing and matching items

“I just moved into a new home and will need to purchase new furniture. I wonder about piecing different things together and worry it will look too ‘eclectic’. Whats the trick to making all my selections work together?” – Cathleen in Calgary

We know how easy it is to go to IKEA and buy the entire room in one trip and just like that – a decorated bedroom! Now, of course there’s nothing wrong with that… but with a tiny bit more time spent, you can personalize your bedroom and make it unique and stylish with just a few extra steps. Don’t worry about ‘eclectic’, there are many tricks to adding pieces harmoniously in your space! Mixing and matching the right pieces and décor items will make your home feel luxurious and professionally decorated. We know that having an interior decorator isn’t a reality for everyone so here are some tips to get that designer bedroom look easy!

Furniture
Try not to get the bed, night stand and dresser all in the same colour and material.
As easy as it may be, try to refrain! You’ll thank us in the end. For a simple solution, try mixing light and dark pieces. Its an easy way to get that designer look. Having a white dresser mixed with a glass end table and a dark headboard would give the room interest. Or choose whatever combination speaks to you.  The mixture light and dark pieces gives the room the balance it needs. Having all dark wood pieces makes a space feel dark and masculine, and often having all light pieces doesn’t add the personality a space needs. Incorporating a variety of textures and tones makes a space feel personalized. 

 

Colours and Patterns
Choose a common theme, even if its subtle.
You don’t have to have everything in your room in the exact same shade of red, but having some commonality will pull the space together.
Perhaps adding red lamps to your night stands and then a patterned pillow with some red in it as well. This is visually pleasing and without being too matchy-matchy. We’re all about mixing colours and patterns. Some people are intimidated by the idea of this but we say bring it on! Of course, we recommend colours that are complementary to one another, nothing too crazy! There are many colour combinations that suit one another.. If you are stuck on what goes 
with what, we recommend checking out our blog on choosing ‘combinations for colourful spaces’ …

http://www.kikiinteriors.blogspot.ca/2015/01/combinations-for-colourful-spaces.html

Bring in beautiful!
Create a focal point for your space.
Decorate with things that are beautiful and make you happy. Having a focal point in a bedroom is important. Whether it’s a stunning headboard, or a beautiful art piece or bold bedding, decide what you want the show stopper to be and build around that. This is often a great starting point for your bedroom. Having that first piece that you love is a fantastic way to pull your room together.

 

Add Accessories
But not too many! We don’t want to encourage clutter.
Having lamps is a must have, provided you have the space.. Either floor or table lamps add a layer of lighting, as well as being pretty!
Incorporating fun touches add personality. The options are endless, and accessories are a great place to add colour. Choosing fun throw pillows in various colours, patterns and textures make a space unique.
Mirrors are another great accessory that really add another dimension to your room. There are so many great shapes, styles and colours available for a variety of price points… you’re practically obligated to choose a fabulous mirror for your room! Area rugs are great in bedrooms as well, everyone loves cozy toes in the morning, and depending on the size of your room, the type of rug could be anything! We love the look of small shag rugs these days – they’re a super hot trend!

 

Furniture face lift!

My husband and I spent our Canada day doing various chores around the house (sounds like fun right?). We had been putting off these chores for some time, with a new baby and busy work schedules we just did not have the time. One of the day's tasks was the empty the garage and find our patio set. Find it we did and boy it looked tired! We still set it up in the rear yard but it truly looked pathetic. Truth be told it was a hand me down from someone who purchased newer and nicer patio furniture for themselves - so it was already pretty used but we took it and have not really used it - maybe because it looked so awful.

We discussed buying a new set with all the sales on now but did not see anything that we really liked, so why spend the money. As a short term solution we decided to spray paint our current set, use it for the summer and if we wanted to, maybe purchase something new next spring.

We were not sure how the set would turn out but it had to be slightly better than how it looked currently. We went to the Home Improvement store and purchased our cans of Rust-Oleum spray paint. They had a ton of colours and finishes (textured, smooth etc...) check out their website http://www.rustoleum.com/ for ideas and see all the things you can do at your home with a little bit of spray paint. Check out Inspiration page for ideas and do it yourself resources for tips and tricks.

Our set looks brand new and spectacular. We were able to choose colours that worked with some other item we had in the yard and we even decided to paint the wicker chairs too! It did not take long and it was a fun project to do together at home.

It is amazing what a face lift can do!